SNAP uncertainty magnifies growing food insecurity on college campuses

Days before she would normally receive her monthly SNAP allocation, Meley Hagos said it hadn’t quite sunk in that she might not get the funds she needs to buy food this month.

“I haven’t even really processed that I’m going to be struggling” in November, Hagos said.

Hagos, who works at Rowdy’s Corner, Metropolitan State University of Denver’s student food pantry, is one of the estimated 42 million Americans — and 600,000 Coloradoans — who, due to the government shutdown, faced losing their November benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

A federal judge ruled last week that the Trump administration must release emergency funds to keep SNAP running, and on Monday, the administration announced that it would release $5 billion for the SNAP program, about half the usual monthly amount. White House officials did not say when recipients like Hagos, who rely on those benefits to buy food, would receive their allotments. 

And even with half of November’s benefits provided, uncertainty remains for a growing number of college students who struggle with food insecurity.

Hagos, a Human Development and Family Studies major, said she’s seen many more students at Rowdy’s Corner this fall than last year. The numbers back up her observations: This semester Rowdy’s has served 1,700 unique students each month, up from 1,000 per month in 2024.

She hasn’t seen a lot of students upset about maybe losing SNAP benefits this month, but only because “I feel like it hasn’t hit a lot of people yet.”

MSU Denver does not track students who receive SNAP benefits but estimates that roughly 14% of its 18,336 students rely on the federal benefit. A 2024 survey conducted by Trellis Strategies found that 50% of MSU Denver students experience food insecurity.

University leaders recognize the need among students and are researching ways to offer additional help if SNAP benefits don’t arrive this month.

“At MSU Denver, we believe that no student should ever have to choose between their education and putting food on the table,” said University President Janine Davidson, Ph.D.

She said the University is taking steps to increase the support it already provides — including through Rowdy’s Corner — to ensure that no student goes hungry.

RELATED: Rowdy’s Corner helps feed the need for nutritious food

Numerous campus organizations are planning food drives and expect to schedule campus events to distribute food. Surveys to assess need were sent to students, including those who had either inquired about SNAP benefits at the Student Care Center or used Rowdy’s this semester. In response to those surveys, MSU Denver – with support from community and corporate donors –  is offering $50 grocery gift cards to more than 400 students affected by the benefits pause. Eligible students were notified last week and provided instructions on how to apply for the gift cards. 

In addition, the University expects to provide students with referrals to community resources that can help. And, a SECOR Cares mobile food pantry will be on campus Nov. 20.

“By strengthening  campus-based supports, we’re committing to a community where every Roadrunner has the nourishment, dignity and stability they need to thrive in and outside the classroom,” Davidson said.

That support is one reason the University expanded its food pantry and rebranded to Rowdy’s Corner in 2022. Now, all MSU Denver students receive points weekly, which they can use to buy food at Rowdy’s Corner. Since it opened, the number of students who visit the corner store in Tivoli and spend those allotments on food has steadily grown.

“The loss of SNAP benefits, however temporary, would  make it all the harder for our students to focus on their education,” said Taylor Tackett, MSU Denver’s dean of students. “Our hope is that we can provide some additional support to our students, ensuring that they can continue to remain focused on their schoolwork during this time.”

SNAP helps low-income households purchase food. The program is funded by the federal government but distributed by states.

Qualifications to receive SNAP benefits vary from state to state but typically are based on income and household size. Generally, in Colorado, a single-person household can earn up to $2,610 a month and still qualify. For a four-person household, the income limit is $5,360, according to the Colorado Department of Human Services.

Governors and attorneys general from 25 states and Washington, DC have sued the federal government to keep SNAP payments coming. This week, attorneys for the group argued in federal court that SNAP benefits cannot legally be cut off, and that halting benefits would harm millions of Americans.

The Trump administration had argued the opposite — that they are legally prohibited from using emergency funds for SNAP benefits.

A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the federal government must release the $5.5 billion in emergency funds to the SNAP program “as soon as possible.”  That would not cover the program’s usual $9 billion monthly cost but would provide temporary relief.

The Trump administration has not yet said whether it will challenge the ruling or comply.

A lot of MSU Denver students could use that relief, Hagos said. And the irony of a potential crisis in food access coming in November — Thanksgiving month — makes it especially painful, she said.

Even without the government shutdown and possible loss of SNAP benefits, Rowdy’s Corner’s shelves empty out regularly, she said. “This year we haven’t been able to keep up with demand as it is.”